Kieran Hayler, the ex-husband of media personality Katie Price, has been found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.
Hayler, 39, faced three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents that took place in West Sussex in 2016. On Thursday, a jury consisting of four men and six women acquitted him after deliberating for nearly 15 hours. He was also cleared of four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
Upon hearing the verdicts on Friday, an emotional Hayler bent over in the dock before the judge informed him that he was free to leave.
During the court proceedings, details of Hayler’s high-profile relationship with Ms Price, to whom he was married from 2012 to 2021, emerged. Hayler accused his ex-wife of orchestrating a smear campaign against him, claiming she set him up with fabricated allegations. Taking the stand during the trial, Ms Price denied suggestions that she was angry and vengeful toward her former husband.
The complainant in the case first reached out to the NSPCC in 2021 regarding the allegations, prompting the charity to refer the matter to the police. Authorities confirmed that the complainant is not a member of either Hayler’s or Ms Price’s extended families.
Throughout the trial, the court played the complainant’s recorded police interview. In the footage, she alleged that Hayler told her sex was a special thing and cried before raping her. Describing the aftermath of the third alleged incident, she told investigators that she realized something was wrong.
“I think by that point I knew it wasn’t quite right, he kept telling me to ‘shh’, I had to be secretive and not tell anyone,” she told police, adding that he instructed her not to talk about it or tell anyone because he might get into trouble. She also told investigators that she tried to forget the incidents for many years.
Hayler was first interviewed by police in 2022 and consistently denied all allegations brought against him. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Ms Price had sent a text message to the complainant asking if Hayler had kissed her and offering to make her a “little star.” Defense arguments pointed to this interaction, with Hayler stating his belief that Ms Price was coaching the complainant.
